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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · snap · safe · land · calf · court · dip · fall

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. court — of a king
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. snap — to click
  17. fall — the season
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. land — a country
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com